Complete user datagram protocol (CUDP) for wireless multimedia packet networks using improved packet level forward error correction (FEC) coding

• US 20060156198A1
• Filed: 02/07/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zheng, Haitao, Boyce, Jill M.
• Application Number:
  US11/348,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156198A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/774
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/373 with erasure correction and erasure determination, e.g. for packet loss recovery or setting of erasures for the decoding of Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0072 Error control for data other than payload data, e.g. control data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1838 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications such as streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream receiver H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

A complete User Datagram Protocol (CUDP) is disclosed that reduces packet loss. Channel frame error information is used with a packet level forward error correction (FEC) coding technique to accommodate wireless multimedia traffic. Each packet, as well as the channel frame error information, is forwarded to a given application. The CUDP protocol further assists the FEC decoding process by forwarding the locations of corrupted frames to the FEC decoder. Maximal Distance Separable (MDS) codes can be applied to a group of packets, to achieve additional robustness. An MDS decoder utilizes the frame error information to recognize the erasures within each packet. The error information can be represented as a set of LTU error indicators associated with each packet (for FEC decoders requiring an erasure indicator). The error indicators point to the starting and ending location of the erroneous data. The error information can also be represented as a reformatted packet (for FEC decoders Recognizing Erasures). The frame (LTU) error information from the lower layers is incorporated in the packet payload. An FEC encoder is also disclosed that encodes multimedia packets utilizing a packet-coding scheme, such as a Vertical Packet Coding (VPC) scheme or a Long Vertical Packet Coding (LVPC) scheme.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a multimedia packet from a wireless packet network to a wired network conforming to the Internet Protocol (IP), said multimedia packets encoded using a forward error correction (FEC) coding technique, said method comprising the steps of:

embedding frame error information in said multimedia packet;

forwarding said multimedia packet to a receiver on said wired network; and

discarding a multimedia packet having an unrecoverable frame error.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable codes that are applied to a number, k, of information packets comprised of X data units, and wherein up to X codewords are formed of length n using one data unit from each of said k information packets.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable codes that are applied to a number, k, of information packets comprised of X data units, and wherein up to X/L codewords of length nL are formed using L data units from each of said k information packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable (MDS) codes that are applied to each of said information packets comprised of X data units to create k information packets comprised of X′

data units, and a second set of said MDS codes are applied to of said information packets comprised of X′

data units, and wherein up to X′

codewords are formed using one data unit from each of said k information packets.

5. A method for transmitting a multimedia packet from a wireless packet network to a wired network conforming to the Internet Protocol (IP), said multimedia packets encoded using a forward error correction (FEC) coding technique, said method comprising the steps of:

decoding said multimedia packet using frame error information;

forwarding said multimedia packet to a receiver on said wired network; and

discarding a multimedia packet having an unrecoverable frame error.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable codes that are applied to a number, k, of information packets comprised of X data units, and wherein up to X codewords are formed of length n using one data unit from each of said k information packets.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable codes that are applied to a number, k, of information packets comprised of X data units, and wherein up to X/L codewords of length nL are formed using L data units from each of said k information packets.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said forward error correction (FEC) coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable (MDS) codes that are applied to each of said information packets comprised of X data units to create k information packets comprised of X′

data units, and a second set of said MDS codes are applied to of said information packets comprised of X′

data units, and wherein up to X′

codewords are formed using one data unit from each of said k information packets.

9. A system for transmitting a multimedia packet from a wireless packet network to a wired network conforming to the Internet Protocol (IP), said multimedia packets encoded using a forward error correction (FEC) coding technique, comprising:

a memory for storing computer readable code; and

a processor operatively coupled to said memory, said processor configured to;

embed frame error information in said multimedia packet;

forward said multimedia packet to a receiver on said wired network; and

discard a multimedia packet having an unrecoverable frame error.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable codes that are applied to a number, k, of information packets comprised of X data units, and wherein up to X codewords are formed of length n using one data unit from each of said k information packets.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable codes that are applied to a number, k, of information packets comprised of X data units, and wherein up to X/L codewords of length nL are formed using L data units from each of said k information packets.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable (MDS) codes that are applied to each of said information packets comprised of X data units to create k information packets comprised of X′

data units, and a second set of said MDS codes are applied to of said information packets comprised of X′

data units, and wherein up to X′

codewords are formed using one data unit from each of said k information packets.

13. A system for transmitting a multimedia packet from a wireless packet network to a wired network conforming to the Internet Protocol (IP), said multimedia packets encoded using a forward error correction (FEC) coding technique, comprising:

a memory for storing computer readable code; and

a processor operatively coupled to said memory, said processor configured to;

decode said multimedia packet using frame error information;

forward said multimedia packet to a receiver on said wired network; and

discard a multimedia packet having an unrecoverable frame error.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable codes that are applied to a number, k, of information packets comprised of X data units, and wherein up to X codewords are formed of length n using one data unit from each of said k information packets.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable codes that are applied to a number, k, of information packets comprised of X data units, and wherein up to X/L codewords of length nL are formed using L data units from each of said k information packets.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said forward error correction coding technique employs Maximal Distance Separable (MDS) codes that are applied to each of said information packets comprised of X data units to create k information packets comprised of X′

data units, and a second set of said MDS codes are applied to of said information packets comprised of X′

data units, and wherein up to X′

codewords are formed using one data unit from each of said k information packets.